Dillon Danis’ MMA debut almost ended in disaster when he was tagged by a massive punch.
Conor McGregor‘s teammate transitioned from BJJ to MMA at Bellator 198 in April 2018.
Dillon Danis was matched up against 2-4 Kyle Walker in what appeared to be a gimme fight.
However, the MMA debutant ended up suffering an early scare before winning in just 98 seconds.
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty ImagesWatch Dillon Danis make his MMA debut
Danis was forced to strike when his first takedown attempt was easily shrugged off by Walker.
Seconds later, he was caught with a jab and a massive overhand left that knocked him off balance.
Danis kept advancing, but he ran straight into an even bigger punch that almost floored him.
The submission looked like he might hit the floor before sorting out his feet to remain upright.
Walker’s striking prompted Danis to rush in for a takedown, and when that failed, he settled for a guard pull.
Once the fight was in his world, Danis quickly grabbed onto Walker’s leg and applied a toehold that made him scream in pain.
Walker tapped immediately to give Danis what looked on paper to be a straightforward debut win.
In reality, he had to overcome a truly scary moment that could’ve derailed his hype train before it got going.
Dillon Danis returns to MMA
Danis hasn’t competed in MMA since injuring his knee after a second win in June 2019.
The only fight he’s had since then saw him lose by DQ against Logan Paul when they boxed in October 2023.
Earlier this month, Danis’ MMA return was confirmed after six years away from the sport.
He’ll square off against Warren Spencer in the first-ever Misfits MMA bout on August 30.
It’ll take place on a card featuring Darren Till vs. Luke Rockhold and Tony Ferguson’s boxing debut.